TIM ETHRIDGE: Election's finally over, so let's do it again

For at least the last two weeks I couldn't count my conversations that included, "I can't wait until the seventh of November, when the election is over."

Then came Nov. 6, Election Day, when we discovered that even the final, dogged days of the campaign were well worth the prolonged buildup.

You couldn't create better story lines, more drama, more elation and more heartache than what was rolled out from the opening of the polls until President Obama walked onto the stage in Chicago — finally allowing photographers to snap the pictures that were holding up publication of newspaper front pages across the nation — at shortly before 1 a.m. CDT on Wednesday.

I watched it unfold from the Courier & Press offices, stuffed with locally produced pizza. We were flipping between local channels, national networks, CNN and Fox News while courierpress.com pulled in unprecedented numbers with our up-to-the-minute vote tallies. Our reporters tweeted notes from Vanderburgh County races as we waited for totals that came in all at once around 9 p.m.

It was democracy in action, an example of why, despite the strident 50-50 split in our national electorate, our system of government is the very best.

My top five takes on a fascinating night:

5) Thumbs-up for Vanderburgh County's Election Centers. I bypassed the one closest to home at Bethlehem United Church of Christ, which had a line outside a little after 6 a.m. and wound up at the site closest to work, Memorial Baptist Church.

Less than a half-hour later, even discounting time for a chat with former teacher Jack Schriber, the Rev. Adrian Brooks, and Mayor Lloyd Winnecke's wife, Carol McClintock, on the way in, my vote had been cast. It was my first experience with the centers, and it was a good one.

4) I still support consolidation, though the plan trounced by a two-thirds majority obviously wasn't the one to get things done. The timing wasn't good, obviously, the plan lacked details, and the supporters' case was quickly drowned out by opponents who at times played loose with the facts but carried the day with their passion.

If we're going to unite, find the savings and include public safety. Let the sheriff's department deal with courts and the jail and the police department the streets. Move current officers around to what best fits. Same with other combined departments. Savings comes in management, not at the level where work gets done.

I still believe that it would be easier to have one roads department, one clerk's office, one finance arm and one council. I believe there would be better representation. But I'm not sure I'll see another run at it in my lifetime and, to be honest, maybe we should now concentrate on getting state lawmakers to fix the township system.

3) Vanderburgh voters aren't tied to one party. True, more than 38,000 votes came on straight tickets (19,027 Republican; 18,221 Democrat; 1,077 Libertarian), but that left 35,000 votes split among 73,330 (representing 51.3 percent) that were cast.

By my count, voters in national, state, county and district contested races gave a majority to 12 Republicans and six Democrats. Three races that at least locally went to Republicans — state school superintendent, county treasurer and county surveyor — were tight, coming close to resulting in a 9-9 GOP/Dem tie.

In the U.S. Senate race, for the second time in a row, local voters didn't favor hometown candidates. Two years ago, Dan Coats beat Brad Ellsworth. This year, Joe Donnelly beat Richard Mourdock.

2) The best TV moment election night came via Fox News, when Karl Rove — who had predicted a rout by Romney — disputed the network's own experts for calling Ohio for Obama.

That led to a co-anchor wandering the halls to the situation room, where the experts said, no, they were right — and they were.

Republican pollsters turned out to be right in figuring Obama wouldn't get the youth turnout he did four years ago. But everyone except Nate Silver of The New York Times, who got every state right after missing only Indiana in 2008, underestimated the minority vote, both African-Americans and Hispanics. If the GOP remains the party of the white (Romney did win 59 percent of that segment) then it's in deep trouble, considering the white vote fell again to 72 percent of the total electorate.

1) Bottom line: I remember how my dad used to say, "If you don't vote, don't (complain)." It's not only a right but a privilege.